Tyrese Maxey ‘spreads joy’ during his fourth annual holiday turkey giveaway
The Sixers star gave out 3,000 Thanksgiving meals to families in need at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center.
Tyrese Maxey’s breakout season continued on Thursday night when the 25-year-old guard scored a career-high 54 points in the Sixers’ 123-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The All-Star continues to grow as a veteran leader in his sixth season with the Sixers — but his personality and impact off the court often steal the show.
That was on display Saturday morning as a line steadily formed out front of the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center as Maxey hosted the Tyrese Maxey Foundation’s fourth annual holiday turkey giveaway. And this year the foundation gave away 3,000 Thanksgiving meals to Philadelphia families in need.
“It’s growing,” Maxey said. “The foundation, my uncle, my mama, everybody that’s part of it, is doing an amazing job. I remember when I first came to it, like I said, it was just a small idea that I wanted to do and it turned grand, and that’s a really good feeling.”
With each passing year since it started in 2022, the event continues to make massive leaps.
In its first year the foundation gave away 400 meals. The following year, that number increased to 1,000 meals, and in 2024 the foundation gave out 2,000 meals.
“It shows my connection with the city,” Maxey said. “I try to do whatever I can to give back, honestly. It’s just one of the many things I try to do. But for me, my family, and my foundation, I really do appreciate them for helping me bring a plan like this to fruition.
“I want people to see that I’m not just a basketball player. I’m a person as well. I grew up in places where I wanted to give back there too. And so now I’m blessed to be able to have that impact in Philadelphia.”
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Each Thanksgiving meal included a turkey, sides, fresh produce, and sweets. Philadelphia native Ceriene M. Lofton, 71, was grateful to have the help from the Sixers guard ahead of the holiday season.
“He is humble,” Lofton said. “You have a lot of basketball players and you have a lot of stars, they wouldn’t even give you a dime. But him doing this is a great help for the community, especially for senior citizens who can’t get out or don’t have the means to have any type of dinner. So, you know what, I really honor him and I respect him for that because he doesn’t have to do that, but he does it out of his heart.”
Saturday’s event was just one way the Tyrese Maxey Foundation plans to strengthen the community. During the day, Franklin the Dog made an appearance and Maxey met with children, first responders, and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship founder David Feldman.
Wearing his bright red Tyrese Maxey Foundation T-shirt, Maxey couldn’t help but reminisce on a past interaction from his 2022 turkey drive, a day after he broke his foot.
“I was able to go, and I still walked people around and was there the entire time,” Maxey said. “I remember this one lady came up to me just crying, happy that I was there. She just didn’t think I would be here because I broke my foot the day before. ... Those are the moments that we live for. That’s why I do it.”
As the event continues to grow, Maxey has big plans for the future.
“It’s the holiday season, I just try to spread joy,” Maxey said. “Just keep making people happy. Right now, it’s a hard time in the world. ... A lot of stuff has been changing, but the more families we can feed, the more smiles we can put on people’s faces, I’m happy.”